Elderberry in the landscape? This article got me thinking...
Just saw this article and thought of you all. Horticulturist says edible plants make a delicious choice for landscaping. Talks about elderberry among others. I'm all for it, but I'm more of a tech gadget guy—I'd probably rig up some soil sensors first. Anyone here actually grow elderberry for the berries? I'm curious if it's worth the effort. Link in the OP.
As a student on a budget, I'm all about edible landscaping. Free food? Yes please. I've been eyeing elderberry for a while but heard it needs a lot of space and two different varieties for pollination. That's a bit much for my tiny apartment balcony. But if you have a yard, go for it! Just be careful—raw elderberries are toxic, gotta cook them. That article didn't mention that lol.
I actually planted elderberry last year after reading about its immune benefits. Took a while to establish but this season it's going nuts. The flowers are pretty and the berries made some killer syrup. I'm an early adopter of trends, so I jumped on this. But warning: birds love them too, so netting is a must. Also, the article is a bit fluffy—doesn't get into the specifics. Still, good intro for newbies.
Thanks for the tips! I didn't know about the raw toxicity. That's important. Ivy, maybe you could grow a dwarf variety in containers? I think there are some that stay smaller. Indigo, what kind of netting do you use? I might try this next spring. Also, should I worry about pests? I'm thinking of hooking up a camera to monitor the plants, haha.
Dwarf elderberry? I'll have to look that up. My budget is tight, so I'd need to find cheap starts or seeds. Anyone know a good online source? Also, BerryBen, a camera might be overkill but I'd watch the footage if you stream it. :)